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New rule limits Strawberry Festival swine contestants
Evan Axelbank reports.
PLANT CITY, Fla. - The Strawberry Festival is overflowing with livestock, and its organizers are changing the rules to try to get control of it.
However, their new plan to restrict participation in the swine show is ruffling some feathers on the western side of Hillsborough County. Kids at schools west of I-75 will no longer be allowed to participate.
The backstory:
The Strawberry Festival is considered the gold standard of swine shows in Hillsborough County, but organizers said that they are finally enacting a rule they've been considering for years.
Last year, 189 applied to be in the raffle, but could only accept 80. Even more were expected for this year's raffle if nothing changed.
What they're saying:
Andi Sloane Bland sold a pig last year that weighed 233 pounds for $10 per pound.
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"I was jumping for joy with my dad in the living room," she said. "I just like so excited."
But next year, Sickles High School students, and anyone at FFA programs in schools that are east of I-75 will not be allowed to enter.
"When you exclude people from urban areas, you push the narrative that agriculture is only centered in these cities where it is predominant, which is just not the truth," said Sickles High School student Isabella Mones.
The top Strawberry Festival organizer said it's simply a matter of space. They've been considering this change for 10 years, and with larger numbers of students applying for raffle spots, and a barn that stays the same size, it's not possible to open the pigpen to everyone anymore.
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The other side:
"I understand more than anyone that it hurts people's feelings," said Strawberry Festival President Kyle Robinson. "If they can't get into the Strawberry Festival, that's all taken into account. I understand this. And that's why the decision was a difficult decision."
Because the show is purely for helping students, they often get paid 10 times the amount a commercial buyer would pay for a pig.
"I understand why the youth wanna be here. But unfortunately, we have to make some protocols and rules," Robinson said.
For students who were hoping to hit the biggest stage in swine shows, this is yet another lesson in the animal world. Some things don't go as planned.
"We deserve to be included in that and not just have the opportunity taken away from us," said Teryn Boutte, a Sickles High School graduate.
What's next:
The festival organizers do point out that there are other festivals in the county that have swine shows, including the Hillsborough County Fair and the Florida State Fair.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Evan Axelbank.